This invention relates to an apparatus for recycling oil filter canisters, specifically to an automated apparatus.
Automobiles and trucks require a new engine oil filter approximately every 3000 to 5000 miles. With the millions of cars and trucks on the nation's roads, this amounts annually to many millions of old oil filters which must be disposed of. These oil filters are made of metal which has a significant value if recycled. The paper inserts in the oil filter canisters also have recycling value. The used oil trapped in the canister can also be recycled.
Although the need for recycling oil filter canisters is known, the process of recycling the canisters is labor intensive and messy. The canister must be cut open, the used oil drained out, and the paper insert removed. In order to store and transport the canister and insert efficiently, both must be compacted. Then the canister, oil, and paper must be separated into respective containers for storage and transport. Because the canisters and inserts are processed by different recyclers, the canisters must be kept free of debris from the inserts, and vice-versa. The canisters are difficult to cut open manually because of their cylindrical shape and thin walls, which make using a tool such as a hacksaw difficult and dangerous. The canister may be inadvertently collapsed during cutting, making it difficult or impossible to remove the paper insert. The canister, which is covered with oil and slippery, may roll during the cutting process, causing the operator's cutting hand to slip, resulting in physical injury to the operator.
There is a need for an automated apparatus for recycling oil filter canisters. The apparatus must be capable of quickly cutting open the canister so that the oil and paper insert may be removed. The apparatus must then compact both the canister and the paper insert while keeping them separate from each other. The compacted canisters and inserts must be automatically transported to storage bins. The used oil trapped within the filter must be drained out and pumped into storage tanks. The apparatus must be capable of processing several hundred canisters per hour, under the control of human operators.